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So there are a few things that as a fantasy football owner you must know or pay attention to going in. One of the biggest things is to keep an eye on your player's bye weeks. Most importantly, the QB, since you only get 1 in your lineup. Well in my family league, I failed to do this, having Tom Brady and Carson Palmer both on byes this week. As a result, I had to go with the best QB available. Well, I guess more importantly, the best matchup, as I had to settle for Mark Bulger. Yep Mark Bulger. Lol here are my matchups.

Family: Me(2-5) vs my cousin's friend Kevin(3-4)

Marc Bulger at DET- Despite his awful numbers, this is a good matchup and hopefully he can pull 20 points out of it.

Steve Smith at PHI- Has cooled off recently but has been tweeting about how focused he is lol so lets hope he bounces back.

Braylon Edwards vs MIA- Has struggled all year except for one game against the Dolphins where he went off. Hoping for deja vu all over again.

Mohamed Massaquoi at Chi- Had Calvin Johnson in this spot but he's inactive today. Going with a so so receiver on an awful offense against a bad defense. We'll see what happens.

Ronnie Brown at NYJ- Ricky killed his touches last week, but can't bench him ever.

LaDainian Tomlinson vs OAK- Getting healthier and more touches. Could have a big one here.

Zach Miller at SD- Had a big TD last week hoping he might get some catches in what should be a pass happy offense trying to come back.

Nick Folk vs SEA- Has seen the field alot recently and should see more this week.

New York vs MIA-Redeemed their poor performances with a killer game last week. Hopefully they can pick off rookie Henne a couple times.

Kevin(3-4)

Brett Favre at GB- Could have a huge game in his homecoming.

Austin Collie vs SF- Could get 2 points or 20 hope Manning looks elsewhere.

Nate Washington- Hasn't done much all year but will prob get a TD this week lol

Michael Crabtree at IND- Looked good last week and they will fall behind so could get his first TD.

Maurice Jones-Drew at TEN- A TD machine, will likely get 20 points here.

Darren Sproles vs OAK- If LT gets more playing time, its doubly good for me then.

Antonio Gates vs OAK- Hoping they jump out to an early lead and don't need him much.

Sebastian Janikowski at SD- Damn this San Diego Oakland game will likely decide the winner lol

San Diego vs OAK- Look above lol

In my ATVN league i had dominated in two straight weeks and this week I'm up against Steven Kim who is also 3-4. Would be great to get a win and get back to 500 as the league is full of 3-4 and 4-3 teams. Here is the matchup.

Me


Matt Schaub at BUF- Dude has been on fire and should be a good matchup for him. Hoping for some big numbers.

Nate Burleson at DAL- Could get lost in this game but the Seahawks will likely be behind most the game and should be passing alot.

Torry Holt at Ten-Had Mario Manningham but he's hurt. Going with Holt who should get 5 catches for 60 yards. Man I miss Ocho cinco already lol.

DeAngelo Williams at Ari They will fall behind early and pass alot, but he's too good to bench.

Thomas Jones vs Mia- Has been killing recently and should get some more good numbers this week.

Jason Witten vs Sea- Would it kill you to get in the endzone Jason?!?!?

Mason Crosby vs Min- Great kicker and should get alot of field time in a potential shootout.

New Orleans vs Atl- Great week last week and could make Ryan look like a rookie again.

Steve

Donovan McNabb vs NYG- Hoping the Giants can contain him but with no Westbrook they will pass alot.

Dwayne Bowe bye- Hopefully Steve doesn't notice he has a bye lol

Santana Moss bye- Look above

Roddy White at NO- He's been on fire in the past couple weeks, but the Saints defense is very solid.

Steven Jackson at Det- Bad matchup for me Jackson could go off here.

Knowshon Moreno at Bal- A very tough run D should make it a nightmare for this rookie.

Owen Daniels at Buf- I feel like I've played him in like 5 straight weeks lol. He's been sick and doesn't look to be slowing down against this bad Bills defense.

Nick Folk vs Sea- Overlaps again. Should get about 10 points here.

New York at Phi- Well if Mcnabb goes off at least it will hurt his defense lol.

As always you can follow my updates at my twitter @tayke2. Also tough loss for SC tonite and its rough because we have never been absolutely handled like that in a while. But congrats to Oregon they were by far the better team and will represent us well in the Rose Bowl. Thanks for reading guys.

I've been constantly looking to expand the horizons of this blog after having it solely be about poker for a long time. Although today I played maybe my 5th tournament in 3 weeks and got 3rd for 504 bucks, so that was nice. Got another check coming in the mail sweet. Shoulda won but a cooler and suck out killed me. Oh well water under the bridge. I thought it would be good to do some pro football picks. So hope my advice helps you guys out when it comes to bets with friends or bets in vegas haha. Lets get started.

1. Houston at Buffalo: Houston's offense has been on fire, and despite 2 wins in a row by the bills, they are still a pretty bad team. Houston takes this one big 31-13

2. Cleveland at Chicago- Despite getting whooped by the Bengals last week, the Browns are just god awful. Going with the lesser of two evils here ans saying the Bears take this one 17-6.

3. Seattle at Dallas- I've never really believed in all the hype around Dallas the past few years. They have the talent but can't seem to get it together. However, they have looked mighty good the past couple weeks. The Seahawks have a good offense but that's about it. Think this one will be closer then most think. Dallas takes it 27-23.

4. St Louis at Detroit- Two pretty bad teams, but the Lions have shown some promise this year, while the Rams just flat out suck. Going with the lesser of two evils again. Lions get their 2nd win on the year here. 17-13

5. San Francisco at Indianapolis- Sorry New Orleans. I love my Saints and I think they are the best team in the NFC. But the Colts are the class of the NFL this year. The 49ers will put up a good fight, and I'm pulling for Alex Smith to redeem himself, but the Colts win this one 31-17

6. Miami at New York Jets- These two matched up for one of the best games of the year earlier this year on Monday Night Football. I think they are two very even teams, but I like the dolphins here in what many might consider an upset. Their running game is ridiculous, and the secondary is very dangerous and could pick off a few balls from Sanchez. Dolphins win another close one here 27-24.

7. New York Giants at Philadelphia- The outcome of this game will largely be affected by the status of Brian Westbrook. He provides a whole different dynamic to this offense. Having said that, the Giants are the better team here, an I think the only difference Westbrook would make is the closeness of the final score. Giants win this one 24-13

8. Denver at Baltimore- This could very well be the game of the week. Two very talented teams here. The Ravens defense is lesser then it used to be, but the offense has picked their game up to compensate. I like the Ravens at home, and I think they have the tools to shut down the main weapons for the Broncos. Baltimore knocks Denver off the unbeaten list with a tough win 17-14.

9. Jacksonville at Tennessee- My 2nd upset pick so far. I don't know why, but for some reason I like the Titans here. They really have nothing going for them. Jeff Fisher is wearing Colts stuff, they just got utterly destroyed by the Pats, and they lost to this same team by 20 points. I mite look like an idiot hear, but my gut is saying Titans. No other reason, just my gut. Titans get on the win board with a 24-17 win.

10. Oakland at San Diego- A mismatch on many levels that will only stay relatively close due to the conservative play calling of Norv Turner. In Oakland, the Raiders mite have a shot. In San Diego, the Chargers win easily 28-10

11. Minnesota at Green Bay- Will be hyped as the game of the week, and these two teams are fighting for the top spot in the NFC north. I think the Vikes are the better team, and a motivated Favre will come in and lead them to victory. Vikes win 28-20

12. Carolina at Arizona- The Panthers are bad. I mean reallllly bad. When you out gain your opponents by over 250 yards, and you don't come close to beating them, you have a problem. The Cardinals are looking after going into New York and getting a big win against the Giants. Cardinals win in what should be a scrimmage for them 31-13.

13. Atlanta at New Orleans- Should be a great game between two teams that will likely be in the playoffs. The Saints looked god awful in the 1st half against the Dolphins, but proved they can comeback for a win. And on national TV, Drew Brees will lay his claim as the MVP of the league. Although for my money, he might not even be the MVP of his team. That title goes to Free Safety Darren Sharper, who has completely changed this defense. Saints win at home 30-20.

Those are my picks. What are your thoughts? Am I absolutely nuts to pick the Titans to win?! Probably lol. Thanks for reading guys.

So I've had alot of fun with the Fantasy Football updates so I thought i would start a new segment where I break down the BCS top 10 each week. Its a long read but I want to give my full breakdown so hope you enjoy and please comment at the end if you have any thoughts of your own. Lets get started!

1. Florida- What looked like on the scoreboard as a 29-19 struggle against Mississippi State was actually a beatdown that was 2 bad Tim Tebow throws away from being a 29-3 final. This is the best Defense in College football, and a tough offense to contain when running smoothly
Up next: Georgia- Arguably the best team left on their schedule, Florida shouldn't have any problem winning this game by 2 touchdowns. Georgia really isn't that great and any possible edge they mite have had at home is nullified by the neutral site in Jacksonville. Prediction: Florida 31-14

2. Alabama- Bama really dominated Tennessee for 58 minutes before almost letting it go in the last 2. For my money, Bama and Florida are the 2 best teams in college football, despite some shaky results from both in recent weeks. And lets throw some love to Terrence Cody. Whether you see the Heisman as a "most outstanding" or "most valuable" player award, its hard to find a more outstanding or valuable player right now then this defensive machine.
Up Next: Idle

3. Texas- Texas has looked solid all year and should have a spot in the national title this year despite the fact that they are not as good as a Bradford led Oklahoma team, which right now is a mute point with Bradfords injury. And if Texas wins this week, there's no reason why they shouldn't beat everyone else on their schedule by at least 2 touchdowns.
Up Next: at Oklahoma State. Any Legitimate shot that OK State had at winning this game essentially went out the door when stud wideout Dez Bryant was suspended. However, they still have a great offense and the home field, but I think Texas is just too strong. My prediction: Texas wins 34-24

4. Iowa- Really computers. Iowa the #1 team. REALLYYY! This is the team that had to block two last second field goals to beat Northern Iowa, barely squeaked by Arkansas State, and had to get a last second TD to beat a .500 Michigan State team. The sad things is, the rest of their schedule is so weak that they will likely win out and finish undefeated. Take my word though: this team is nowhere near as good as the Ohio State teams that have been destroyed in the BCS the past few years. Iowa will get beatdown by the likes of florida, bama, and Texas...and I will say that they would also lose to TCU or Boise State as well.
Up next: Indiana. Indiana is awful, and Iowa is at home. Iowa will find a way to make this game close, but they should pull this out. My prediction- Iowa 20-13

5.USC- The Trojans D looked invisible against Oregon State, and will need to show up to beat Oregon. The main thing killing the Trojans right now is the poor play of their past opponents. While the Trojans have no one to blame but themselves for the jam they are in, they have gotten no help from the likes of Ohio State or Cal. But a big game against Oregon, and a win against Arizona if they are still ranked mite push SC over TCU or Iowa if they are left to fight it out for the other spot in the title game.
Up next: At #10 Oregon. In the last 6 years, USC has lost to just 2 ranked opponents. One of them was 2 years ago to this team. However, that was against an Oregon team that in my opinion would have gone to play in and win the national title were it not for the injury to Dennis Dixon. While the mobile QB usually kills USC, Carroll will have them better prepared then any other coach could. My prediction: USC squeaks it out 24-20

6. TCU- Is anyone playing better football right now then these guys? Better yet, is anyone playing like they want to be in the title game more then TCU? TCU destroyed a BYU team that beat Oklahoma and more importantly was beating Oklahoma when Sam Bradford was playing. While I still feel that a small school will never play for the tite in the BCS system, TCU has the schedule to make it there, and they are looking like a real threat right now.
Up next: UNLV. TCU really only has one legitimate concern left against Utah in 3 weeks. TCU shouldn't have any trouble against UNLV. My prediction: TCU wins 38-13

7. Boise State- While Boise State will obviously have to focus on winning Saturday, many of the players might be busy scoreboard watching the USC Oregon game. If Oregon loses to SC, Boise will have 0 shot at the title game or a BCS bid if TCU wins out. Oregon is their sole quality win, and if Oregon can pull off the upset, you could argue that it would benefit them even more then it would benefit Oregon.
Up next: San Jose State- The rest of Boise State's schedule is full of awful teams and cake walks. This is no exception. My prediction: Boise kills 35-10

8. Cincinnati- Cincy fell all the way to #8 this week, but the best of their schedule is coming up. Tony Pike is an elite college QB, and should get some votes for the Heisman if he can stay healthy. We will see if Cincy is for real when they take on West Virginia in 3 weeks.
Up next: at Syracuse. This should be a scrimmage for Cincy. Syracuse is awful. My prediction: Cincy rolls 42-14

9. LSU- I will probably get some flack from most of my high school friends for this, but LSU is nowhere near the 9th best team in the country. Heck, they might not even be the 19th best team in the country. While their only loss was to #1 Florida, it was about as big a blowout as a 13-3 final score can be. LSU would not have score a touchdown if they had played 4 more quarters. Not to mention barely squeaking by a bad Miss. State team and a Georgia team that showed how bad it was after they got blown out by Tennessee.
Up next: Tulane. This will be a warm up for the Alabama game in two weeks, a game I predict LSU will be crushed in. My prediction: LSU wins 28-3

10. Oregon- Would anyone else besides me have much rather seen Oregon play Boise state in week 4, or even in week 2 when both teams had the 1st game butterflies out of their stomachs. Oregon is looking very good, and their dominating win over Washington, USC lone loss, will give them alot of confidence going into this week.
Up next: USC. Will probably be the game of the day. Should be a see saw battle that I see Oregon falling just short on. If USC Defense wakes up, they should be able to contain this high powered offense. My Prediction: Oregon loses 24-20

Well thats my breakdown. Agree, disagree? Love what I have to say, hate what I have to say? Please comment I always welcome feedback.

Ok so it looks like it will be yet another 1-1 week for me. In my family league, I'm down by 24 points, but I still have Brian Westbrook playing. I have mixed feelings on this mainly just depends on which Westbrook shows up. Westbrook can get 3 points or he can get 30. The good thing is he can have a reasonable line of 5 catches 50 yards and 90 yards rushing and 2 TD's and I lock up the win.

SO down 121 to 97. For me, the good is Brady and Welker clicking on all cylinders right now. After getting 60 and 32 last week, they get 32 and 22 this week. Sadly, it seems like no one else really wants to play on my team. From Braylon Edwards, Kelen Winslow, and Joe Nedney, I get a combined 5.5 points. In this kind of a league, those scores are absolutely pathetic. After Winslow gets 22 points on my bench 2 weeks ago, he's gotten me 3 and 1 the last two weeks. Very frustrating. On my grandpa's team, I was killed by Romo's 38 point game, and the unexpected 15.5 points each for Lee Evans and Mike Wallace. Oh well we'll c what Westbrook can do for me tomorrow.

I am absolutely loving my ATVN team right now. After 160 points last week, I follow it up with 148 this week, in what is all but a win against the 1st place team in our league, Casey. I am up by 42 points, and he only has Jeremy Maclin left. Granted, Maclin did drop 32 points a couple weeks ago, so anything is possible, especially facing me lol. The good for me....everything right now. Rivers and Schaub give me a win win every week at QB. Ocho Cinco is playing like one of the top 5 receivers in all of football. Collie have me a great game today and could be a solid 3rd option with Nate Burleson. I got the hottest RB in Thomas Jones and the best RB in D will. A top 5 tight end in Witten, and two defenses that scored 20 points each this week. Couldn't be more happier ready to make a run at the 4 spot for the playoffs. Casey had some great players, but Brees's terrible first half hurt him. Also got hurt by the subpar games from his TE, K, and DEF.

Ok so tomorrow keep your eye on Westbrook and Maclin. Hoping for alotttt of screen passes to Westbrook. I've made a living this year of losing close games, and most of them have come down to the Monday Night Football game. Would love to finally have one go my way this time. 2-5 in my family league would suck. Thanks for reading guys, wish me luck.

NFL Sunday once again for those who read you know the drill here are my matchups. IT worked last time so I'll do it again gonna file the matchup with my grandpa as a must win. IF I lose, I fall into lat place. If I win, I'm one game out of 3rd.

Me(2-4) vs Gramdpa(1-4-1)


Tom Brady at TB- Should ride the momentum from last week's output and get me some more big points.

Steve Smith vs ARZ- Hoping he can get back on track vs a weak pass defense.

Wes Welker at TB- Loving him right now two solid weeks in a row.

Braylon Edwards at Oak- This is more by default this week lol not expecting much but hoping for the best.

Brian Westbrook at Was- Should be a great matchup for him hoping for alot of points.

Ronnie Brown vs NO- This D is for real, but Ronnie has been the best back in the league. Can't bench him.

Kellen Winslow vs NE- Hoping they fall behind early and will be looking to pass alot.

Joe Nedney at Hou- Hope to see plenty of the field against this good but not great defense.

New York at Oak- They have sucked the past few weeks but nothing like a matchup with the Raiders to get back on tract defensively.

Grandpa


Tony Romo vs ATL- This will be the matchup to decide my fate. Need the Falcons to come up big.

Terrell Owens at Car- Hasn't done shit but with my luck he'll go off this week.

Lee Evans at Car- Hopefully the Panthers D shows up today.

Mike Wallace vs Min- Due for one big catch a game but that should be it.

Thomas Jones at Oak- Had a sick game last week but Raiders D is more solid.

Joseph Addai at Stl- Too many weapons on the Colts O for him to get a big day hopefully.

Jason Witten vs Atl- Will get his usual 8 catch 80 yard game hopefully with no TD

Lawrence Tynes vs Arz- Best kicker in the league due for 10 points in this potential shootout

Carolina vs Buf- Hoping they dominate the pass but allow a bunch of running yards.

Then there is me(2-4) vs Casey (5-1) Gonna be a tough matchup as he has Mr Brees. But I have faith.

ME


Philip Rivers at KC- Hard to bench Schaub right now but River has the better matchup.

Chad Ochocinco vs Chi- Should get plenty of looks today against a weaker defense.

Austin Collie at STL- Could get 8 catches or could get 0.

Steve Breaston at NYG- Should get alot of looks with Boldin hurt.

DeAngelo Williams vs Buf- Finally went off last week. Should do the same against a D that allowed 200 yards to Thomas Jones last week.

Thomas Jones at Oak- Tough matchup, but cant bench him after last week. Dam overlaps!

Jason Witten vs Atl- DAM OVERLAPPPPPPS lol.

Mason Crosby at Cle- Should see the field all day Cleveland is miserable.

New Orleans at Mia- Tough offense but this D has been too good recently.

Casey

Drew Brees at Mia- Solid corners. Might hold him to 30 points. lol

Larry Fitzgerald at NYG- Weak corner play could lead to a big day for fitz.

Vincent Jackson at KC- Lots of weapons on this team and I have Rivers so hoping his impact is minimal.

Jeremy Maclin at Was- Like Collie for me, will have 2 points or 20.

Steve Slaton vs SF- Very inconsistent. Hoping this is a down week.

Ronnie Brown vs NO- Freakin overlaps man lol.

Visanthe Shiancoe at Ptit- Hoping the Steelers lock in on him and shut him down. Polamolu one time buddy!

Lawrence Tynes vs Arz- Ugh him again. Lame

Minnesota at Pit- Could be a shootout so hoping Big Ben is comfy at home.

As always you can follow my updated at my twitter @tayke2. I'll be in the house at about 11:30ish so I'll miss the 1st half of the first games. but after that I'll be giving updates there. Wish me luck! Thanks for reading.

Ok so I played in a 235 buy in 6 handed tournament at Hustler's casino today. Started at 3 o clock was hoping it would get 100 players but only got 48 pretty pathetic but still a nice 4k to first 537 to 5th. Ok so here we go.

Nothin really in the 1st level started at 12k had 12.5k after. In 2nd level big hand came up blinds 25 50 I call a 300 raise with 77 as does the bb. Flop Comes Q75 rainbow...Pretty good flop!! BB bets 600 raiser calls I call. Turn 6 brings str8 and 2 clubs on board. BB gets 2k..raiser calls and I finally pop it to 6k. BB folds and raiser who has a bout 8k left thinks for 20 seconds and folds KQ face up. BB says he had AQ. Shoulda raised the flop! Oh well up to 18k.

I get moved to a new table where I'm 2nd in chips the big stack has around 25k. I win a couple pots, then 3 bets the big stacks raise preflop with JJ to 2500. He calls and I bet 3k on a K high flop and he folds. The very next hand, big stack raises and the button calls. In the small blind I look down at KK! I raise to 3k and the bb immediately moves all in for 5k more. Both get out of the way and I snap call he shows QQ and I hold. Up to 27k and in the lead.

Then the biggest hand of the tournament occurs. I limp in the sb with K7 of clubs after the big stack limped for 200 in early position. The flop comes 1086 with two clubs, and I just call the big stacks bet of 600. Turn is a 4 of clubs. Yahtzee!! Big stack bets 600 again and again I just call. River brings A of spades, so one hand has me beat. Big stack bets 1200 and I raise to 4k. He thinks for about 15 seconds and moves all in!!! WOW He has to know I have a big hand. This is essentially for everything I have. I wait about 20 seconds, and realize that I cant fold this in this kind of tournament. I call, and he flips up......Q6 of clubs!! I take down the massive pot and am dominant chip leader. It was only after the hand that I remembered something critical. This was a fairly old man and when the A came on the river he asked if it was the A of spades. Now unless he was a mental genius, this gave away the fact that he didn't have the A of clubs, cause if he did, he would know that it had to be the A of spades. So a very easy tell that I shoulda picked up on, but i won the hand regardless.

A few hands later I get moved, and I continue to play aggressive and chip up to about 70k when I get moved once again. With 25 left I was dominating chip leader when this hand came up. blinds probably at 300 600 and I call a raise to 1800 in my BB with KJ. Flop comes J76. I bet 1500 and the button raises to 4100. I just call. turn comes a blank and we check check. River comes another 7 and I check he bets huge 10k. I thought for about 30 seconds and figured it had to be a bluff and called. IT wasn't. Just a suckout..he had 74 of diamonds. Should repopped the flop I let him get there oh well.

I was still the chip leader when I got moved to a solid table with 18 left. I hover around 90k until there are about 11 left, when I start to bleed chips...and badly. I didn't pick up any hands, and when I did I got outflopped. In a short handed game, this kills, and I was widdled all the way down to 30k. Two crucial hands come to mind. One I raised to 4500 in the BB with AK blinds at 500 1k after the big stack bully had limped in the SB. He called. Flop came J105 all hearts I had the K of hearts. We check check. Turn comes a 4 of clubs. He bets 8k. I raise to 20k and he instantly moves all in. Pretty sure he had two pair, or top pair with a heart draw. Either way I woulda been drawing for my entire stack. I have to fold. Other hand I raise with A10 big stack called flop KK4 check check turn Q I bet 5k he calls river deuce check check he flips J4.

So we were at 8 players for 30 minutes when I shove utg for 27k blinds at 1k2k with K10. The SB thinks for a few seconds and calls he is exactly even in chips with me. Not good. He flips JJ and I need to get lucky. Flop blanks but the turn K OF SPADES! Bam and I hold up to 54k. On the FT bubble it only takes about 4 hands to get down to the final table. Sadly, I was not a part of it. The big stack raise on the button to 9k blinds at 1500 3000 I look down at JJ and shove he thinks for 10 seconds and say "ok one loose call." Of course that means the end for me lol. Flop comes KK...A. Cant' catch up and I'm out.

I'm still kind of in shock more then anything I was cruising the whole way then just ran dry and missed some flops. But overall, I feel like I played at the top of my game, and thats all I can ask for. They are running the same tournament next weds. except its 300 instead of 200. Mite play in it not sure. Thanks for reading guys.

Tomorrow I'll be playing a 200 buck 6 handed tournament at Hustlers Casino at 3 pm. First time I'll be going to Hustler's so we'll c how it is. Prob only gonna get 100 players so 20k prize pool and 5k for 1st I'm guessing. I'll try to set up my phone to twitter so that I can tweet updates occasionally. You can follow the action at my twitter @tayke2. Wish me luck!

Yea...that happened. 380 yards and 6 TD's and I still lost to my uncle. In what was an absolute shootout, my uncle beat me 155 to 137. Brady got me nearly 60, Welker got me 32, and Westbrook showed promise with 19 points without a TD. But the rest of my team fell flat. Steve smith only got 6, Winslow got me 3 points after getting 26 on my bench last week, Lynch is getting killed by Fred Jackson(its cool though it was Ronnie Browns bye week) Braylon Edwards was mostly shut out, and my kicker Baronias never got close to seeing the field against the Pats. My uncle got 44 points from Schaub, 34 from Moss, 18 from AP, 22 from Owen Daniels, and 20 from New England. All things considered, I am about as happy with a 2-4 team as I can be. And with a matchup against my grandpa next week who's in last place, I foresee a good bounce back coming.

In my must win ATVN league, this one was over by 1. As I expected, Schaub absolutely ripped it, given me a much welcome problem of which top 5 QB to start each weeks, Rivers or Schaub. My RB's each got me 30 points D will finally broke out and Thomas Jones cemented his status at the #1 back in NY. Great pickup for me. Another free agent pickup Heath Miller put up Witten like numbers in Witten's bye week and was huge. Overall, 7 of my starters got double figures, and I had top score in the league with 164 points. Next week, a big matchup vs Drew Brees and Casey. A win there would be absolutely huge. Also in week 2, my trade is looking great. Chris Johnson has absolutely sucked horribly, and while Welker is healthy and solid, Schaub has played out of his mind in the last 6 quarters.

So 2-4 in both of my leagues, but my teams are looking really good. If I can finally get a few close calls to go my way, I'm expecting big things in December. Thanks for reading.

Ok tomorrow is my favorite day of the week. NFL Sunday means I got 2 more matchups, and the one in ATVN is a must win. At 1-4, I'm playing Brian who I'm tied with at 1-4. The loser of this matchup can pretty much kiss the playoffs goodbye. In an 8 team league with 14 weeks of play, you probably need a 7-7 record to make playoffs. So 1-5 and 2-4 hugeeee difference. In my family league, I'm 2-3 and have a tough matchup vs my uncle who is 4-1 and tied for 1st. A win here would be huge, and dropping to 2-4 would be tough in a league where the difference between 3rd and 8th is just one game. Here are the matchups.

Me vs my Uncle.


Tom Brady vs. Ten- I'm banking on huge numbers from Brady with both the starting corners for the Titans not playing.

Steve Smith vs. NO- In a game that looks to be a potential shootout, I like Steve Smith alot.

Wes Welker vs. Ten- Should get his usual 10 catches a game hopefully a TD

Braylon Edwards vs Buffalo- Hoping he can continue his great production from Monday night against a downright awful team.

Brian Westbrook @Oak- Needs to get healthy and get more touches in an offense that has been on fire in the air but not the ground.

Marshawn Lynch @NYJ- They are slowing working Lynch back into the system, and soon he'll be an every down back again.

Kellen Winslow vs. Car- Hoping he can get half his production from Sunday, especially against a defense that is weak against the TE.

Rob Bironas- If the offense can get going, I hope for alot of PAT's and FGs

New York Jets- Hope they can make up for the less then goose egg they put up last week that cost me.

Uncle Mike


Matt Schaub @ Cin- Gonna be a shootout sadly expecting big numbers

Brandon Marshall @SD- Worried bout him last year he had 18 catches against them

Percy Harvin vs Bal- Mite not play that would be huge.

Randy Moss vs Ten- Brady as my QB should cancel out most of his production.

Adrian Peterson vs Bal- Bout as good a defense I can ask for against this beast.

Brandon Jacobs- @ NO- Hoping Bradshaw steals some carries this week again

Owen Daniels- @Cin- Gonna get some solid points

Stephen Gostkowski vs Ten- Def gonna get some looks as the Pats should be moving the ball all day.

New England vs Ten- Hoping the D doesn't play as well as the O will.

ATVN: Me vs Brian


Matt Schaub @Cin- Hate having overlaps but this matchup is too juicy. Hoping for a good, not great game lol

Chad Ochocinco vs Hou- Hope the head to head with Andre will help motivate Ocho.

Nate Burleson vs. Ari- Mite get lost in all of the Wr's here but should still give me 10ish points.

Braylon Edwards vs Buf- see above

DeAngelo Williams @TB- Poor week last week but Tampa's D sucks so hoping for some big points here

Thomas Jones vs Buf- Should see alot of the goaline against this Defense.

Heath Miller vs Cle- One of big ben's favorite targets should put up Jason Witten like numbers in his absence.

Mason Crosby vs Det- Should see plenty of the field against a horrible Defense

Pittsburgh vs Cle- I expect big numbers against the worst offense in football.

Brian


David Garrard vs Stl- Looked awful last week but this D looks just as awful.

Percy Harvin vs Bal- PLEASE DONT PLAY!

DeSean Jackson @Oak- Hoping Asumogha(however u spell his name) shuts him out

Greg Jennings vs Det- Could be very dangerous against bad defense

Brian Westbrook @Oak- Dam the cross overs! Hate them!

Ahmad Bradshaw @NO- Facing Jacobs in the other league, really hoping the Giants pass early and often.

Brent Celek @Oak- Putting up great numbers

Jason Elam vs Chi- Hoping for a low score here

Cincinnati vs Hou- Should be a shootout so hoping for some negative points here.

Ok those are the matchups. As always I'll post how my players are doing on my twitter @tayke2. And I'll post a full recap Sunday nite. Thanks for reading.

I started an internship at Fox College Sports last week and I'm really loving it. I've had a ton of great opportunities there already, including writing an article previewing one of their football games, actually helping out on editing pieces rather then just logging for 6 months(some people know who I'm talking about I won't name names), and having a leading role in a demonstration of the west coast offense that will air at halftime of the Kansas State Texas A&M game on Saturday. Also a big perk is getting TV series over half off at the Fox store! Today I got How I met your Mother Season 1,2, and 4...Always sunny season 3 and 4, and Arrested development season 3...all of them for 16 bucks each! Awesome.

Got fantasy football coming up two more matchups including a must win in my atvn to still have a shot at the playoffs. I'll post match ups this weekend when they are final and results like I did last weekend. Also thinking about doing fantasy basketball. Haven't decided. Also stoked about the USC Notre Dame game I think we'll win by 14 points or so we are looking pretty good. Also for anyone who hasn't seen yet, Stafon Johnson is back at SC!!
Awesome to see him back fight on stafon!

Lastly, I mite be playing some live poker next week! Think I mite run down to the hustler's casino in Gardena Wednesday for a 200 buck 6 handed tournament. Its been too long since I played live, and I loveeee 6 handed so we'll c. Also mite play some more online now that my 1500 dollar check is in the mail. Its the money i won when I went on that sick heater a few weekends ago not that all the money I planned on cashing out is out, I'll be back on the grind soon. Thats it for me thanks for reading guys.

Well going into tonite, I needed exactly 21.75 points from Ronnie Brown and NYJ defense to beat my brother. Well Ronnie brown had a great game, giving me...21.75 points. BUT!! The last go ahead TD gave 31 points, meaning my defense had -1 points. And given they had 0 sacks, ints, and fumbles, I lost by .75 points. This after a .08 loss earlier this year. Fucking brutal. 1 point from 3-2. Oh well, I'm not as desperate in the family league. 8 of 10 teams make the playoffs there. In the atvn league though, I'm tied for last at 1-4 with only 4 of 8 making it. Next week is a MUST WIN in atvn. Luckily, its against the guy I'm tied with in last Brian, and 4 of his starters, the Dallas Cowboys, have a bye. So again on paper, easy win. But as this week proved, nothing is guaranteed. Thanks for reading.

Having played a ton of poker, I'm used to sweating the "classic coin flip". The all in pre flop of 77 vs AK that ultimately determines the winners of several tournaments. However, fantasy football has these as well, and in a way, they are more frustrating, because you are ultimately in control of the situation. In yesterday's match up for my brother, I had two coin flips, and one of them went terribly wrong.

First was at QB: Whether to start Tom Brady @ Denver or Carson Palmer @ Baltimore

As with each coin flip, I made a pros and cons list. For Brady , Pros: They will pass the ball a ton, and he's always capable of having a 30 point game. Cons: In Denver's cold weather against a tough Defense that includes all world corner Champ Bailey who would likely(and he did) shut down Randy Moss. For Palmer, Pros: Looking like he's back at his 2007 form and has a ton of weapons around him, but cons: He was playing Batlimore's pass defense...thats really all you need to know lol. I decided to go with Brady, and as is often the case, it didn't matter much, but it turned ut to be the correct decision as Brady got 3 more points.

The other toss up was Kellen Winslow vs Mercedes Lewis. Winslow, pros: He's probably the #1 option for Tampa Bay especially in the red zone, and he's showing the talent he displayed in his college years. Cons: Tampa....Bay.....sucks. Mercedes Lewis- Pros: The offense WAS on fire, and lewis was showing his promise as a 1st round pick last year. Cons: The offense is pretty stacked, with Lewis being the 3rd or 4th option. Based on the matchups and the abilities of the offenses, I chose Mercedes Lewis. Well Lewis got 2.5 points, and Winslow got....26. He caught both of Tamps TD's and was the lone star of a terrible offensive game. Lol great.

Had I started Winslow, I'd have the victory wrapped up. Oh well still have a shot tonight. Got Ronnie Brown and the Jets defense, which sadly will be in opposition of each other as far as points are concerned. But I have hope considering there will be two rookie QB's starting. Ideal situation; Ronnie brown 100 yards rushing 6 catches and 1 TD. The Jets allow 10 points and get a few takeaways and sacks. Need 20 point...cross your fingers.

In the ATVN league, I lost my sure win against Jeremy, thanks in large part to Peyton Manning who screwed me over again for the 3rd time in 4 weeks by giving Wayne a TD and 15 points. I lost by 5, but I'm happy that my trade worked out for me. Ochocinco got 11 points, and Burelson ripped it for 25. Schaub had a sick second half giving me 25 points. And Bradon jacobs started off well, but fizzled while Amad Bradshaw shined. Not good. But on the other side, Chris johnson once again sucked, welker did well, and Palmer was ok. sadly though, 1-4 now means Playoffs might be tough. We'll c.

Thanks for reading if anyone has any questions about my team or theirs feel free to comment I'll glad give my 2 cents. Thanks guys.

So I'm up bright and early! (10 am pretty early for me lol) To watch some NFL Football. Alternating between the Raiders Giants and Cowboys Chiefs. Not my favorite games to watch cause I only have three players playing. Steve Smith and Bradan Jacobs from the Giants and Jason Witten for the Cowboys. Here are my matchups.

First vs my brother.

Tom Brady @ Denver Kevin Walter @Arizona
Steve Smith vs Oakland
Wes Welker @ Denver
Ronnie Brown vs NYJ
Brian Westbrook vs Tampa Bay
Merecedes Lewis @Seattle
Joe Nedney vs Atlanta
NYJ @Miami


Shaun Hill vs Atlanta
Calvin Johnson vs Pittsburgh
Bernard Berrian @St Louis
TJ Whosyamama? vs Jacksonville
Chris Johnson vs Indy
Michael Turner @ San Fran
Brent Clerk vs Tampa Bay
Neil Rackers vs Houston
San Fran vs Atlanta

I am a projected two point favorite in this game lol. About as even as it gets, but I'm worried my brother might take this one considering my QB situation. I had to choose between the lesser of two evils. Carson Palmer AT Baltimore, or Brady @Denver, a good defense and bad weather. As a rule of thumb, I rarely start a QB against Baltimore, and making no exception. Riding brady today we'll c if it pays off.

Other Match up vs my boy Jeremy Hall

Matt Schaub @Arizona
Kevin Walter @Arizona
Chad Ochocinco @Baltimore
Nate Burleson vs Jacksonville
Denaglo Williams vs Washington
Brandon Jacobs vs Oakland
Jason Witten @ KC
David Akers vs Tampa
Pittsburgh @Detroit


Ben Rothlisberger@ Detroit
Randy Moss @Denver
Reggie Wayne @ Tennessee
Kenny Britt vs Indy
Ray Rice vs Cincy
Tim hightower vs Houston
Ben Watson @ Denver
Joe Nedney vs Atlanta
Philadelphia vs tampa

On paper, this should be an easy win for me. I have some great matchups, including Schaub in what will be a shootout in the desert, and Pittsburgh against Detroit, along with Moss vs all pro Champ Bailey. So in theory I should win...but that...as they say...is why they play the game. Check out my twitter throughout the day at @tayke2, as I'll post updates throughout, and I'll post a recap tonite. Thanks for reading.

Its one of my favorite things in the world to do. Every Sunday, every game matters, and its just awesome. I thought I'd post my teams here and do a Sunday update so you guys can follow along. I haven't been really feeling poker recently for whatever reason, but that will probably change soon with the "Piece of Ivey sweepstakes." I'll post the link to that later.

Ok so my first team is my family league. It consists of 10 people: myself, my dad, mom and brother. then my Uncle, Grandpa, Aunt, and Cousin. then two of her friends to round out the league. In this league, I am 2-2, but I really like my team and I think when everyone is 100% I have a good shot at taking the league down.

QB: Tom Brady- Has been so-so so far this year but the knee gets better every game and with a healthy Welker coming back, I expect big numbers soon.

WR: Calvin Johnson- This kid is a star in the making and is putting up great numbers on a horrible offense.

WR: Steve Smith(NYG)- Probably the biggest surprise of the season, Smith has filled the void for Plaxico and then some and is the top scoring WR of the year. Love to see the Trojans do well!

WR: Wes Welker: Look at Brady

RB: Ronnie Brown- A pleasant surprise so far, Brown is by far my most productive RB and is one of the best RB's this year.

RB: Brian Westbrook: I took a huge gamble with Westbrook at the #2 overall pick and so far he has let me down. But his knee is getting better and I expect him to return to his 15-20 point a game form soon.

TE: Kellen Winslow/Mercedes Lewis- Definitely my weak point, I'm counting on Lewis to continue his breakout year and give me some big numbers.

K: Joe Nedney and Rob Bironias- Its kicking..lets not waste our time.

DEF: Jets and Tennessee- Titans have been a big disappointment but the Jets have been holding through for me.

Bench: Lots of potential. Braylon Edwards has been a huge bust and I gambled on him by drafting him in all of my leagues. Hoping the change of scenery can get him back to his 2007 form. Also keep an eye on Marshawn Lynch back from suspension.

I have a public team but it was auto drafted and sucks and I dont care much about it lol. My other team is with a bunch of my school friends. We only got 8 teams, so they are a bit more stacked then usual. My team is 1-3, but is 4 points from 3 and 1. Lost one match up 140.52 to 140.44(not a typo .08 points) and lost another game by 3 points. Just pulled a huge trade will talk about it after.

QB: Phillip Rivers: Gonna lead the league in Yards this year but I'm hoping he ups the TD's for me.

WR:Kevin walter: Just getting back to full strength from his knee injury. Should get good production.

WR: Wes Welker- Mentioned before, getting healthy. Gets tons of catches but few TD's.

WR: Torry holt- Usually a dependable veteran, but the change of teams hasn't been good for him. Not doing well this year.

RB: Chris Johnson- #1 guy in fantasy but deceiving ranking as he had one bananas week and 3 sub par ones.

RB: Deangelo williams- I will live and die by him this year. Last year, he wasn't great till the 2nd half of the year. Hope that is the same this year.

TE: Jason witten- Best TE in football. Getting tons of catches but I need some TD's soon.

K: David Akers: still got one hell of a leg

DEF: Pittsburgh- I need Polamolu back. NOW!

Ok so the trade. Clearly my WR's suck balls and my RB's are stacked(also got Larry Johnson who's past his prime but still solid but stuck on a horrible team.) But I had to make a move to get some more productive wide outs. So I pulled a blockbuster trade. Chris Johnson, Carson Palmer, and Wes Welker for Chad Ochocinco, Nate buerlson, Matt Schaub, and Brandon Jacobs. I decided to trade CJ cause of his inconsistency. I needed good WR's and I got 2 guys who have double the points of my current top guys. Schaub is a stud and will give me two great QB's that I an switch out or maybe use as trading bait later this year. And Jacobs will give me solid rushing numbers. Overall, I think for my team, it was a good trade.

So those are my teams I'm going to try to update every Sunday, and I'll also talk about various subjects throughout football season. I want to start talking about more then poker, so expect future posts about College and Pro football. Sorry for the long read..thanks guys.